Vegetation patterns under climate changes in the Eemian and Early Weichselian in Central Europe inferred from a palynological sequence from Ustków (central Poland)

Abstract

This paper presents a fresh examination of a pollen profile from Ustków (central Poland), which after preliminary results was thought to span a period between the Early Eemian (MIS 5e) and the upper Pleni-Weichselian (MIS 3). The newly obtained results confirmed the age assessment of the bottom series, but revealed a much older age for the uppermost part of the profile as far back as the Rederstall stadial (MIS 5b). Palynological research showed slightly different patterns of vegetation in comparison to other sites located in Central Europe. Among them were an early Ulmus maximum coinciding with the Betula optimum in the Early Eemian, a relatively late optimum of Taxus baccata during the decline of the Middle Eemian, and a distinct division of the older part of the Late Eemian into phases of Abies-Picea and Picea-Pinus forest domination. The Herning stadial (MIS 5d) falls into a typical bipartition reflected by heathland domination during its older part and the prevalence of Juniperus thickets and Artemisia-Poaceae steppe during its younger part, which makes this succession similar to those from northern Germany. The pollen spectra reflecting the Brørup interstadial (MIS 5c) distinctly revealed an intra-Brørup cold oscillation rarely detected in profiles from Central Europe and a period of Larix dominated forests during the latest part of the interstadial (extraordinarily high percentages exceeding 15% of the total pollen sum). Local pollen taxa, together with the lithological composition of deposits, revealed that there was a water body in the area during the periods of the Late Saalian/Early Eemian transition–Middle Eemian (the decline of the Tilia phase), the Herning stadial (MIS 5d), the early Brørup interstadial (MIS 5c), and the Rederstall stadial (MIS 5b). Between these time-intervals a poor and/or rich fen and/or bog functioned.